Serena Williams is fined $10,500 for tirade (Further investigation of the incident coming)

Los Angeles Times ^ | 9/13/2009 | Diane Pucin

[SeekAndFind]

Reporting from New York - Serena Williams will be fined $10,500 for behavior deemed "unsportsmanlike conduct," and also for racket abuse after her obscenity-filled and aggressive reaction to a critical foot fault called during her 6-4, 7-5 U.S. Open semifinal loss to Kim Clijsters on Saturday night.

There will also be further investigation of the incident according to a statement released by the U.S. Open, "The Grand Slam rule book also allows for an investigation to be conducted by the Grand Slam Committee Administrator to determine if the behavior of Ms. Williams warrants consideration as a Major Offence for which additional penalties can be imposed. This investigation has now begun."

Williams earned $350,000 for her singles semifinal finish.

After an unidentified lineswoman called a foot fault on a second serve which gave Williams a double fault and put her a point away from the loss, Williams approached the lineswoman, shook a tennis ball in the direction of the woman's face and threatened to shove the ball down the women's throat.

Because Williams had already received a warning after breaking her racket at the end of the first set, her actions in confronting the lineswoman resulted in another code violation and a penalty point. That point was match point and gave Clijsters the win.

Through a public relations agency, Williams said Sunday, "Last night everyone could truly see the passion I have for my job. Now that I have had time to gain my composure I can see that while I don't agree with the unfair line call in the heat of battle I let my passion and emotion get the better of me and as a result handled the situation poorly."

Serena and her sister Venus will play the women's doubles final today,

[raybbr]

I’ll ask you like I asked all the others: How do know it wasn’t a foot fault? Were you sitting on the baseline watching Williams’ feet?

[ColdWater]

Nope, Montag has it right. Really bad officiating. As a fan, I wanted to see what was going to happen in the rest of the match. Instead, a poorly trained or supervised line judge decided the match.

No. It was her second serve having missed her first serve and she couldn't win second serves against her opponent. Most likely, she would have lost the point. She denied herself the opportunity to play against a 15-40 lead by her tantrum.

[raybbr]

How do you know it wasn’t a foot fault? Were you sitting on the baseline watching Williams’ feet?

[montag813]

Serena acting like a horse’s ass is relevant and should be the focus of the thread.

She is a freak and I think it was possibly even 'Roid Rage.

I still think that little whiny witch who tattle taled to the ump was pathetic.

[montag813]

How do you know it wasn’t a foot fault? Were you sitting on the baseline watching Williams’ feet?

Yes. I shook Obama's hand and now have the power of omnipotence.

[montag813]

How do you know it wasn’t a foot fault? Were you sitting on the baseline watching Williams’ feet?

Yes. I shook Obama's hand and now have the power of omnipotence.

[ColdWater]

I still think that little whiny witch who tattle taled to the ump was pathetic.

She was called by the ump.

[papasmurf]

The Rules of Tennis

The Singles Game

8. Foot Fault The Server shall throughout the delivery of the Service: a. Not change his position by walking or running. The Server shall not by slight movement of the feet which do not materially affect the location originally taken up by him, be deemed "to change his position by walking or running.

b. Not touch, with either foot, any area other than that behind the base-line within the imaginary extensions of the centre-mark and side-lines.


Source:Tennis Online

That IS a foot ON THE LINE, no?

[montag813]

THAT'S the photo you use as evidence?

about as useful as this...

for determining where the shooter was

Rotate clockwise about 45 degrees and get back to me

[nonsporting]

She did not say that she would kill her. That’s incorrect.

Try living with a tennis ball shoved down your throat.

This was threatening and intimidation. In my State that is a class 1 misdemeanor. I cannot believe that it is not a violation of law in New York?

[bustinchops]

I get the same vibe from Michelle ostammer as I get from Serena and OJ - mouthy, aggressive, threatening, whining, arrogant racists.

[bustinchops]

Yeah.......because she knew she’d stepped in it.......again. Just look at her aggressive, malevolent expression and posture while confronting the line judge. Serena Williams should be suspended for a year.

[bustinchops]

Like father, like daughter. The white world owes them a living and any and all bad behavior they exhibit is whitey’s fault and should be excused. If it isn’t, it’s okay to threaten and cry racism.

I’m sick to death of these tacky, obnoxious racist hustlers with their big mouths, obscenities and threats.

[bustinchops]

You’re either blind, crazy or a pro-black racist.

[bustinchops]

Good gawd, she looks like a caricature. Blech!

[bustinchops]

So, when a black person behaves as a foulmouthed, obnoxious, threatening hood rat, we shouldn’t verbalize that observation because to do so empowers the left to call us racists? Is the an accurate summary of your position?

[bustinchops]

The foot was over the line. The call was good. Or don’t the rules apply to all? Do they only apply when it benefits a black player?

[bustinchops]

That’s what I think. Serena’s got a bad case of ‘rhoid rage. They should test her.

[bustinchops]

Oh, so it’s okay to curse and threaten a game official as long as you don’t really intend to them harm? As long as you’re just blowing off steam, you can say anything you want? Take an aggressive posture, curse like there’s no tomorrow and threaten to stuff a ball down someone’s throat? That’s all fine as long as you don’t have the actual capacity to carry out the threat without being immediately stopped by referees and other bystanders?

That’s a great set of sportsmanship values you have there./sar

[montag813]

The foot was over the line.

show me a definitive photo. Others have not given good angles. The video was inconclusive, and the announcers didn't like it.